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The Northern Elephant Seal, Mirounga angustirostris , is an extraordinary marine mammal. It spends eight to ten months a year in the open ocean, diving 1000 to 5000 feet deep for periods of fifteen minutes to two hours, and migrating thousands of miles, twice a year, to its land based rookery for birthing, breeding, molting and rest. The Piedras Blancas rookery, on Highway 1 seven miles north of San Simeon on the California Central Coast, is home to about 15,000 animals. The area is open for viewing every day of the year and there is no admission fee or reservation required.
If there is something you want to know about elephant seals, or about other marine mammals that inhabit this area of the California coast, please ASK US.
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To arrange for school visits or bus tours, please call the Friends office at 805-924-1628.
The site is now including guest photographs in our Photo Album Section under E-Seals. We invite photographers interested in being included to click the ASK US link above and request inclusion. The webmaster reserves the rights of selection, sizing, and duration of the show.
In early fall, the beach at the Piedras Blancas elephant seal colony is sparsely populated, with just a few juveniles resting and playing. Among these youngsters are some of this year’s pups, born in December and January, and others from one to four years old. They’re survivors of long and often perilous journeys as they foraged for fish and squid and avoided great white sharks and orcas. This time of year, visitors ask where these seals have been and where all the others have gone. The misconception is that the seals live here. This is their “home base” in the sense that they return for a few months each winter to give birth and breed and spend a few weeks in the summer molting and resting, but the seals actually live most of their lives deep in the sea. Adult males spend eight months at sea and four on land. Adult females and juveniles spend 10 months at sea and two on land. Although they huddle together on the beach, their sojourns at sea are solitary. Toward the end of this period, the adult males begin to arrive for the birthing and breeding time. The are at their maximum size for the year - fattened up for the long fast until early March. These photos of seals on the beach during this period. Moving your cursor over the image will pause the slide show. |
Friends of the Elephant Seal PO Box 490 Cambria, CA 93428 Phone: (805) 924-1628 Fax: (805) 924-1629 |
Office / Visitor Center Plaza del Cavalier 250 San Simeon Ave. Suite 3B San Simeon, Ca 93452 Email: fes@elephantseal.org |
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Last edited September 13, 2008